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This is a beautiful picture story about compassion and longing, a boy looking for a companion and his companion in need of his care.
‘Twas the Night is the only wordless children’s book in the 2GETHER picture book collection. The setting is dark, urban, and the streets are sprinkled with Christmas lights. A boy in a wheelchair finds an injured white dove on a sidewalk and brings it home. The entire book has no other people, cars, or creatures. This reinforces the uniqueness of the two protagonists and adds a dream-like atmosphere to the publication. One of the illustrations shows a framed picture of Peter Pan’s shadow on the mantle, and readers realize the boy’s dream: he wants to fly with the dove. ‘Twas the Night is a real Christmas wonder that encourages readers to apply their own imagination, verbalize their own feelings, and interpret their own emotions while following the illustrations. The subliminal message? Dream big. ‘Twas the Night is a remarkable book in which dreams and reality mix, and imagination takes flight - just as the dove and the boy in the wheelchair do.
Marin has proven to be a gentle storyteller, wanting to acknowledge the beauty in hoping for more. By using a child who is confined to a wheelchair the author shows how many possibilities there are no matter what restrictions you possess.
Beginning with the title, the reader is guided to the holiday season through pictures. The illustrations, which are dark, yet very detailed, give a feeling of loneliness but not necessarily of desperation. There is an overall sadness about the boy, as felt through these dark illustrations.
The story could be told in so many different ways, depending on the focus, because the author has chosen to tell the story without words. The story can be about loneliness or it can be about found companionship. The story can also be about sadness and hurt, or it can be about hope and healing.
Through the illustrations one can remember how dreaming felt as a child, while offering a child the beauty of what it means to dream.
I give this story four out of five stars for its detailed illustrations and beautiful ideas. There may be a level of difficulty as there are no words to guide a younger reader. This book would be best suited as a Read-to story to teach about love, caring, and hope.
Reviewed by
I am a writer, artist, and retired special education teacher with certification in school administration. I currently blog on a daily basis having started my blog around September 2019. I review books as often as I can and build miniatures. I write children's picture books.
Synopsis
‘Twas the Night is the only wordless children’s book in the 2GETHER picture book collection. The setting is dark, urban, and the streets are sprinkled with Christmas lights. A boy in a wheelchair finds an injured white dove on a sidewalk and brings it home. The entire book has no other people, cars, or creatures. This reinforces the uniqueness of the two protagonists and adds a dream-like atmosphere to the publication. One of the illustrations shows a framed picture of Peter Pan’s shadow on the mantle, and readers realize the boy’s dream: he wants to fly with the dove. ‘Twas the Night is a real Christmas wonder that encourages readers to apply their own imagination, verbalize their own feelings, and interpret their own emotions while following the illustrations. The subliminal message? Dream big. ‘Twas the Night is a remarkable book in which dreams and reality mix, and imagination takes flight - just as the dove and the boy in the wheelchair do.
About the author
Marin is proud to be a self-published author. He writes the books, illustrates the stories, designs the titles, and publishes the volumes. He even creates new fonts for his publications to make them one-of-a-kind. He started his small publishing house FONTREAL (children’s picture books) in 2016. view profile
Published on November 13, 2020
0-1000 words
Genre: Picture Books
Reviewed by
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